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06. Athanasios Diakos - Vardousia refuges - Artotina

The hiking route serves the crossing of Vardousia, through the mountain shelters and the col at Soufles

19.1

km

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Open stage / Passability improvement works pending / P.T. route marking pending / Information marking pending

Notes

Regarding the passability, clearing and marking have been done in the forested uphill parts from the 2 villages to the heights of Vardousia, while improvement works are pending in the alpine zone.

Route description

The 5th daily section of the route, connects Ghiona with Vardousia mountains, making the most of forgotten in time paths, traces of which were spotted forming a traverse? along the river Mornos valley.

The route 12,7km of length, constitutes nowadays a unique trekking path in the area, which connects the Sykia village in Ghiona, with the villages Kato Mousounitsa and Athanasios Diakos, located on the fringes of Vardousia mountains.

From the Sykia square up to Mornos, the path moves in parallel to the shady Lazorema, while descending it passes through walnut trees orchards and vines, bordered by stone-built berms.

Crossing Lazorema just before it empties to Mornos river, the path changes its route from west to north and moves on through a plane trees forest, until it reaches the safest spot of trekking on the opposite river bank. There is potable spring water (through hosepipe), in an obvious spot into the plane forest, a few meters before the path cuts Lazorema.

On the west bank of Mornos, we can see a steep hill ascending with rocky caves on the east περιμετρία. Remains of the ancient walls can be found on the hill, as there was a Dorian fortress in the area, named Gla.

It is still unknown why this fortress has the same name as Orhomenos castle in Viotia

From the hill of the ancient fortress, the path moves on horizontally on the west side of Mornos, maintaining an average of 50m of altitude difference from the river bed.

Firs, oaks and hollies dominate the green valley. The path opens its route on the west slope with slight variations in altitude, having covered the 3/4 of the distance from the fortress to Mousounitsa village.

Due to falling of a segment of the basic line of the path, a brief part of the route moves on an alternative track with significant inclinations.

From Mousounitsa until the square in Athanasios Diakos village, the route, no longer than 2,7km, is easy, passes through fir trees forest with magnificent view to the northern side of Vardousia and the west side of Ghiona mountain

Photos

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